Toy balloon



June 30, 1925.

' El sha .954

J. W. SHIRA TOY BALLOON Filed Aug. 19. 1922 Patented June 30, 1925.

v UNITED STATES PATENT/OFFICE.

JOHN w. summon RAVENNA, OHIO, AssIeNoR. TO THE OAK'RUBBER COMPANY, or RAVENNA, OHIO, A CORPORATION or OHIO.

TOY BALLOON.

Application filed August 19, 1922. Serial No. 582,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN lV. SHIRA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ravenna, in the county of Portage and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Toy Balloons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to a construetion for use in toy balloons, the'object being to provide a balloon construction in which the bladder is provided with means for mounting a pin wheel or similar adjunct, and a further object is to provide a construction whereby the bladder when in fiated can be held in its inflated condition witgout the use of a valve as is customarily use Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is an end elevation; Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation enlarged; Fig. 4: is a section upon the line 44; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the end portion of the bladder.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a bladder of preferably elongated form. This bladder is made of rubber or similar resilient constructible material and is adapted to be inflated with air.

The bladder at one portion thereof is provided with a hollow neck of restricted diameter as indicated at 2 and this restricted neck is adapted to receive a plug 3, which plug is of such diameter that when inserted in the portion 2 of the bladder it will tightly stretch the bladder forming an air tight joint and also forming a means for retaining the plug 3.

This plug 3 may serve as a means for mounting a pin wheel of any desired construction of form, or in fact, of any other ornament or appendage which it may be desired to secure to the balloon. As shown in Fig. 1, a propeller like member 4 is shown, the same being mounted upon a rod or pin 5, which rod or pin at one end is inserted and imbedded within the'plug 3.

At another portion of the bladder forming the balloon, there is a neck portion 6 which is of useful construction and is adapted to serve as an orifice through which air or gas, which is lighter than air, may be forced into the bladder to distend the same into its inflated condition.

Instead of using a valve in this neck portion 6 which is customary, I provide a means for closing the neck portion. This is to prevent the escape of air or gas which means at the same time serves as a handle or stick. This handle or stick is indicated at 7 and it may be of any appropriate or desired length and made of any material. At the upper end of this stick there is a re-entrance slot 8 which is narrow and is adapted to receive the neck 6 of the bladder, but before inserting the neck 6, the neck is twisted so as to close the passageway through the neck 6, and in this twisted or folded condition the neck of the bladder is inserted in the slot 8, which slot is as before stated, quite narrow and the rubber or analogous composition of which the neck 6 is formed is compressed within the slot 8 and so retained in its twisted or folded condition. This serves to prevent the escape of air or gas from the bladder and at the same time the stick 7 forms a handle.

The whole structure which has been described, provides not only a toy balloon but has an appendage thereto, a pin wheel or other object which may or may not have movement imparted to it by the movement. of the bladder through the air.

By the construction provided for receiving the plug 3 the same is held in a substantially horizontal position when the bladder is inflated, which of course, enhances the value of the combination of the bladder or pin wheel or similar object, because the pin wheel or other object that may be attached to the balloon 3 is a more interesting toy if the pin wheel or similar object is held straight than if it hung down, which position would make its operation doubtful or unsatisfactory.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. Ina toy balloon construction, the combination with a bladder having an inflating neck and a handle in the form of a rod provided with a slot at one end thereof which is adapted to receive said inflating neck in twisted or folded condition and retain the same, thereby to prevent the escape of the gas within the bladder, said IOd eXtending at substantially right angles to the axis of the bladder.

2. In a toy balloon construction, the com- 5 bination with a bladder adapted to be inflated, said bladder having an inflating neck and an elongated rod forming a handle'and having a slot extending lengthwise thereof from one end adapted to receive the neck of the bladder which has been twisted or folded, thereby to prevent the escape of gas from the bladder.

' In testimony whereof; Ihereunto at fix my signature.

JOHN'W. SHIRA. 

